Test server guide

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What is the test server?

When new features are about to be added to Wurm Online, we spend considerable time testing to make sure there are no critical bugs. A lot of testing comes from our internal team, with GM's and other staff testing the features before them going live.

When it comes to more extensive updates or updates with a more significant impact on the game, we open testing to the public. This public testing helps to reduce the number of bugs at release and assists the developers since they can focus on solving them as opposed to finding them. It also gives players the chance to get their hands on a feature before it goes live, guaranteeing they'll know what they're doing when it lands.

 

When will this board be used?

When we announce a more significant feature for testing, we'll create a thread within this board to allow you all to provide mechanics feedback from testing. This board is used exclusively for feedback of actual testing. We will operate them on a strict level of moderation to keep it entirely on topic and clear enough for the dev team to work with feedback from it. Discussion of the feature and its impact can be held in a general thread in the town square if players wish to.

 

 

If you do not understand what is needed to test the feature, or if you found something but you are unsure if it's a bug, then you are free to make a post. If you believe a feature is excellent/terrible, or you think it needs to executed differently, it is better to make a post on Town Square.

 

Of course, the usual rules apply too, and violating them can lead to the standard forum penalties, so please be sure to keep on topic and within the rules.

 

 

 

Testing

To access the test server, you need to use the “Choose Client” shortcut of the Wurm Online launcher. If you don’t have that shortcut, you can follow the instructions in the one of the following spoilers depending on how you play Wurm, or how you want to connect to the test server.

 

For Standalone users:

Spoiler

Copy your Wurm Online Desktop shortcut, right click on the new copy, select Properties. In the target box, it will have a path to where the game launcher is, after the quotes, add -test so that it looks similar to this:

 

After that you can rename the shortcut and use the shortcut to connect to the test server. It will download a new client and new graphics packs.

 

For Steam users:

Spoiler

Right click on the Wurm Online title in your library, select Properties. In Launch Options, you need to add -c so that it looks similar to this:

 

If you wish to only use steam for test, you can replace -c with -test. When you are finished with testing, you can remove this launch option and it will return to starting Wurm Online Live client as before.

 

You do not need to register an account to make use of the Test server. Just fill in your username and a password, and it will automatically create your account as you log in.

 

To see the very latest features, you will need to change your shortcut options to -test preview. This will always have the most recent changes.

 

Setting up

To set yourself up on the test server, we have a special function that can provide weapons, armour, basic tools or materials, and allow you to set your skills and characteristics. To access this menu, activate any item, right-click the ground and select 'Test'.

 

 

When you spawn a new account on the test server, you will receive some basic chain armour and weapons. To obtain tools, use the test menu to generate "basic tools" to get:

• saw
• compass
• carving knife
• steel and flint
• hatchet
• hammer
• mallet
• trowel
• stone chisel
• pelt
• whetstone
• file
• small bucket

If a specific scenario requires other resources, such as channelling items, or other building, we will provide tools in the testing setup.

 

Testing scenarios

When we launch a feature for testing, we will include a setup to provide you with the ability to test without having to start from scratch. This help may include:

Providing materials and resources

Providing tools and carts

Landscaping and terraforming to fit the requirements

Other items as the situation require.

 

A test setup for Catapulting.

 

If you need anything else, you can pm a GM on IRC.

 

We will also outline a general procedure to test. Still, in many situations, we require your ingenuity to generate a scenario that could potentially break the feature, so make sure to think outside the box!

 

The test servers

We currently have two servers, Baphomet, the PvP server, and Oracle, the PvE server. New players spawn on Oracle and can travel to Baphomet via the teleportation portal on the starting deed.

 

Bug reporting

When you report a bug during testing, it is crucial to describe what exactly is wrong and how you can reproduce it. Saying "You broke tracking!" is not useful and we will hide posts like these. It is more valuable to say "If you right-click and select the track option, it does not start the tracking action.".

 

Devs on the test boards

Quite often the devs themselves will be working with the testing boards, updating them and adding notes on the tweaks going in, ensure to read through the whole thread to make sure any issues have not been raised or have not already been patched by us.

 

Notes

The Test server and the standard servers wholly disconnected. This fact means your Test account and your standard game account are entirely unrelated to each other, and others may create accounts using your name.

The second thing is that the Test server is not part of the standard services provided by CodeClub AB. They do not offer regular play, and we do not allow continued day to day play on the test servers and offer no support in situations encountered.

Game rules still apply to the test server; they are a privilege, not a right. We can and will use moderation penalties for misusing them.

The test servers are testing grounds for active development and may go down with little more than 30 seconds notice. Restarts are often fast but no guarantees.

As they are in active development, new mechanics can sometimes be buggy, or scenarios created to address existing bugs. Tread carefully.

The test servers may be wiped, reset, or replaced with no warning. Please consider everything on the test server as a work in progress and liable to change or be removed.